Iran wrecking Yemen peace efforts — US

Yemeni national forces liberate strategic area north of Lahj governorate

The US has questioned Al Houthi militia’s efforts to reinitiate a political process and restore stability in Yemen.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said on Friday: “Al Houthis have responded to efforts by the UN to reinvigorate a political process in Yemen by threatening to conduct more reckless missile attacks, like those they conducted on Sunday [on Saudi cities].”

These actions call into question Al Houthis’ commitment to a peace process, the press secretary said, adding that “these attacks again demonstrate that Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is continuing to disrupt a nascent political process, escalate hostilities, and destabilise the region by proliferating weapons to Al Houthis and others.”

Meanwhile, Saudi air defence forces yesterday intercepted a missile fired by Al Houthis at Najran, Saudi-led coalition said.

Saudi air defence forces intercepted a missile fired by Al Houthi militia in neighbouring Yemen at the southern city of Najran yesterday, Al Arabiya television reported.

Al Arabiya gave no further details. The Al Houthi-run Saba news agency earlier said a ballistic missile was fired at a Saudi National Guard base in Najran, saying it had led to “losses in the ranks of the enemy and its military equipment”.

The coalition on Thursday said it intercepted another missile fired by the Al Houthis at the southern city of Jazan — the latest in a series of such attacks that have drawn widespread condemnation.

Meanwhile, the Yemeni army and the Security Belt forces, backed by coalition forces, have fully liberated the strategic Jabal Shivan and its areas in the north of Lahj Governorate while advancing towards Sehei.

Advance towards base

The combined forces are now advancing towards Raheda in the southeast Taiz Governorate, which is being used as a military base by the Iranianbacked Al Houthi militias to send supplies to their forces on other fronts. Many Al Houthi rebels were killed and injured.